Chapter 15: Tuition
When a sect opens its outer gates to accept disciples, it imparts cultivation knowledge and techniques—but disciples, in turn, must pay tuition.
The tuition varies by the rank of the sect—the higher the rank, the more expensive the fees.
Tongxian Sect is only a first-rank sect in the cultivation world. But in Tongxian City, where all the sects are first-rank, it stands as the largest. Its annual tuition costs one hundred spirit stones—and that doesn't even include various miscellaneous fees.
A hundred spirit stones isn't exorbitant, but it's definitely not cheap either. It's about the amount an average Qi Refining rogue cultivator can earn in a year—assuming they stay healthy and don't encounter any major expenses.
But if illness or misfortune strikes, or if any situation arises that requires spending spirit stones, it's entirely possible to end the year empty-handed.
The New Year had been cheerful, but as soon as it passed, the weight of cultivation life came crashing back down.
Mo Shan placed a storage pouch on the table, a bit ashamed. "I borrowed some spirit stones from a few brothers, and added what we'd saved. Altogether, it's just over eighty…"
Liu Ruhua comforted him, "Tomorrow I'll go ask the manager at the dining house for an advance on some spirit stones."
Just as Mo Shan was about to speak, he noticed Mo Hua eavesdropping through the door crack.
"Hua'er!"
Caught red-handed, Mo Hua gave a sheepish smile and scurried over to sit beside his mother.
Liu Ruhua affectionately tugged on his ear and scolded, "You little rascal, already learning to eavesdrop!"
"Dad, Mom… are we still short on spirit stones?"
Mo Shan said, "We are, but yesterday your Uncle Ji said he would lend me some. He kept telling me to make sure you study well in the sect."
"Uncle Ji?"
"That's right. He said you're smart, kept praising you," Liu Ruhua said as she patted Mo Hua's head.
"But… isn't Uncle Ji's family short on spirit stones too?" Mo Hua asked.
Mo Shan sighed lightly. "I'll pay him back soon after the New Year. These days, who really has spare spirit stones lying around?"
"I do!" Mo Hua grinned proudly.
Mo Shan and Liu Ruhua were stunned.
Mo Hua dashed back to his room on his short little legs, and quickly returned, clutching a storage pouch in his hand.
When he opened it, fifty spirit stones shimmered within—glowing and refracting brilliant light. They were dazzling to behold.
Mo Hua had expected his parents to tear up and call him a thoughtful little angel. Instead, both Mo Shan and Liu Ruhua looked very serious.
Mo Hua grew nervous. "What's wrong?"
Mo Shan tried to keep his tone calm. "Hua'er, who gave you these spirit stones?"
"No one gave them to me! I earned them myself!"
Mo Shan froze. "You… earned them?"
Liu Ruhua's expression softened as she gently pulled Mo Hua into her arms. "Tell Mama—how did you earn them?"
"I drew formations for Youyuan Studio. Just the simplest kind. I earn one spirit stone for every one I finish."
Mo Shan and Liu Ruhua exchanged glances. They recalled how Mo Hua had spent most of the days before and after the New Year in his room, rarely going out. Now they knew he'd been working on formation drawings.
They looked again at the pouch. One spirit stone per diagram—nearly fifty stones meant at least fifty formations…
Liu Ruhua couldn't help but hug Mo Hua even tighter.
Mo Shan opened his mouth several times but didn't know what to say. In the end, he just reached out and gently patted Mo Hua's head.
"These spirit stones were hard-earned. Keep them for yourself—use them for cultivation or to buy something tasty. As for the tuition, I'll figure something out."
Mo Hua could see that his father was reluctant to use the stones. After thinking for a moment, he said, "Then let Dad and Mom hold on to them for me. I'm just a kid—I don't need that many, and someone might steal them from me."
Mo Shan and Liu Ruhua were speechless—but couldn't find a reason to refuse.
In the end, Liu Ruhua said, "Alright, we'll hold onto them for you."
"Mhm!" Mo Hua nodded fiercely.
"It's getting late. You're starting at the sect tomorrow—go get some sleep."
"Okay! Good night, Mom, Dad!"
Mo Hua got up to head back to his room, but halfway there, he turned back and said, "Make sure to actually use them if you need them, okay? Don't try to save them for me!"
Mo Shan and Liu Ruhua were both amused and exasperated.
Watching their son disappear into his room and close the door, Mo Shan sighed and smiled bitterly. "What kind of father am I, being outdone by my own kid…"
Liu Ruhua consoled him. "Don't say that. Hua'er being so thoughtful is a good thing. He can earn spirit stones with his own skills—we should be proud. It's just…"
She looked down at the spirit stones, then back at her husband, a trace of concern in her eyes. "He's still so young… Can he really draw formation diagrams? And earn this much? I'm worried someone's taking advantage of him…"
"I'll go take a look tomorrow."
Mo Shan's expression grew sharp.
The next day, Mo Hua woke up on time, cultivated for a while, then went with his mother Liu Ruhua to the outer gates of Tongxian Sect to pay the tuition and register as a student.
Mo Shan had already left early that morning. According to Liu Ruhua, he was heading into the inner mountains with a few demon hunters and needed time to prepare.
At the sect's outer gate, Liu Ruhua paid the tuition and completed the enrollment procedures. She couldn't help but look at Mo Hua a few more times.
Now that he was entering the sect, unless it was a major holiday, they wouldn't see much of him.
She gave him a few last reminders—cultivate well, get along with fellow disciples, eat well, dress warmly, and don't bully others—then reluctantly headed home.
Mo Hua stood at the mountain gate, waving until her figure disappeared at the road's end, before turning around.
But instead of entering the sect, he went to Youyuan Studio on North Street, where he met with the chubby manager and picked up materials for twenty more Bright Flame Arrays, agreeing to submit them in no more than half a month.
The sect had three short breaks per month—one day each in the beginning, middle, and end. Mo Hua planned to sneak out during these breaks to make his deliveries.
The chubby manager still only asked for ten spirit stones as a deposit for the twenty sets of materials. Since he'd previously had a smooth partnership with Mo Hua's... "older brother," and the quality of work kept improving, he was quite pleased and gave Mo Hua some face by not raising the deposit.
Satisfied with the agreement, Mo Hua left Youyuan Studio.
What he didn't notice was a burly man standing outside, silently watching him.
After Mo Hua left, the man walked into the shop.
The doorbell rang, and the chubby manager looked up—only to see a man dressed simply but standing tall and proud, with striking features and sharp eyes that gleamed with a dangerous edge.
At a glance, the manager could tell—this man was a demon hunter. A real one—someone who had tasted blood.
And his attitude wasn't friendly. His gaze made the manager feel like a beast waiting to be skinned.
While the manager wasn't weaker in cultivation, he knew that if it came to a real fight, it might not end well. Demon hunters live on the edge, battling monsters. He, on the other hand, hadn't touched a sword in who knows how long, and his combat skills were rusty.
Weighing his options, the manager straightened up and asked cautiously, "Fellow cultivator, what sort of formation are you looking for?"
The burly man was none other than Mo Shan. He unfolded a crumpled piece of paper—on it was a formation drawing, with several smudges where copying mistakes had been erased.
"What formation is this?"
The manager glanced at it and replied, "That's a Bright Flame Array."
"You buy this kind of array?"
The man's tone was unpleasant, and on any other day, the manager might've ignored him. But today, he decided that a guest was a guest, and should be treated politely.
"Of course we do. It's a commonly used array. Most cultivator households need it, so the demand is high."
Mo Shan asked, "The kid who just left—he's the one drawing these for you?"
The manager replied, "That sort of thing is confidential. At Youyuan Studio, we protect customer privacy—it's one of our core principles."
Mo Shan's gaze turned knife-sharp, boring into the manager, who felt as though a blade was pressing against his back. After some thought, he decided: principles are meant to be flexibly interpreted.
"It's not the child—it's his older brother."
Mo Shan frowned. "Older brother?"
The manager nodded. "Exactly. That child's still so young—how could he possibly draw formations? He just runs errands. The drawings are all done by his brother."
"He said that himself?"
"Of course," the manager said. "Otherwise, we wouldn't be doing business with a child."
He then eyed Mo Shan warily. "As for the kid's name and where he lives, I can't tell you that."
Mo Shan rolled his eyes. You think I don't know my own son's name and address?
Still, knowing that Mo Hua wasn't being exploited, Mo Shan relaxed. He cupped his hands toward the manager. "Sorry to trouble you. Farewell."
The manager let out a quiet breath of relief and gave a half-proud nod.
After Mo Shan turned and left, the manager didn't breathe easy until the man's back disappeared beyond the door.
Then he muttered under his breath, "Didn't even buy anything…"
(End of Chapter)